Thanks to Shark Week, you might think that the Great White is the biggest predator in the sea. But you would be wrong. When it comes to dangerous things found in the world’s oceans, the biggest threat is actually man-made: trash. And a new exhibit at Shedd Aquarium makes that case with the help of oversized sculptures built entirely from plastic marine debris, including straws, bottles, toothbrushes and even flip-flops.
Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea encompasses a range of large-scale creatures, such as a 12-foot shark, a 16-foot triggerfish and an 8-foot-wide octopus–all made entirely of garbage. Many of the sculptures chosen for display at Shedd directly relate to the animals that live at the aquarium, including a penguin, clownfish, seahorse and sea jellies. The striking sculptures are meant to remind visitors, especially highly visual learners like kids, of the true harm that their trash can do. The artwork is accompanied by helpful hints for helping to protect our bodies of water, with a focus on reducing, refusing, reusing, repurposing and recycling.
The exhibit will remain at the aquarium through September 2018. It will host 19 sculptures over the course of three different phases of the exhibit. All of the sculptures can be viewed with regular Shedd admission.
If you go
Shedd Aquarium
1200 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Runs through September 2018